Electrotherapeutic appliance



Dec. 29, 1925 1,567,741

A. LLOYD ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 30, 1924 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Patented Dec. 29, 1925.

UNITED STATES .ALFRED LLOYD, OF LONDON. ENGLAND.

ELECTROTHERAPEUTIC APPLIANCE.

Application led September 30, 1924.

To all fw hom t may cof/cern Be it known that I, ALFRED LLOYD, a subjectof the Kin-g of Great Britain, residing at 47 Brockenhurst Gardens, MillHill, London, in the county of Middlesex, England, have invented acertain new and useful Electrotherapeutic Appliance, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to a new or improved electro-therapeuticappliance primarily intended for the treatment of obesity, but which maybe used for any other purposes to which same may be applicable.

Broadly, the electro-therapeutic apparatus according to this inventioncomprises electrically conductive rotative members having an axiallyundulating contour, and forming rolling electrodes for application tothe exterior of the human body and means for supplying electric currentto said electrodes.

The apparatus is 'advantageously formed as a complete and self containedunit i. e. the frame which supports the rolling members preferablycarries a source of electric energy which may be a small dry battery (ofsay 11/2 volts), va high frequency interrupter, an induction coil and aconvenient make and break device actuated for example by one of therolling members.

The electrical apparatus may of course be separate, and connected to theappliance in any convenient manner.

The rolling members are freely mounted with their axes yin substantiallyparallel relation; and, in use, are rotated by frictional contact withthe flesh of the person, the flesh (which is slightly compressed betweenthe protuberances of the rollers) completing the electrical circuitacross said rollers which latter are connected respectively to the twoterminals ofthe secondary winding of the induction coil through the makeand break device.

My present invention may be carried into practice as follows Attached toa metal platform are ltwo brackets in which are freely mounted a pair ofmetal rollers, each comprising an integral series of protuberances,preferably conoidal, with the axes of the cones in longitudinalalignment, the cones of one roller being reversed with' respect tothoseI of the other, i.` e. with their apices facing infop- .positedirections, so that when. said rollers Serial No. 740,698.

are beingmoved over the person, the flesh is gently compressed betweenthe opposing conical surfaces.

A small dry battery, a high frequency interrupter, and an induction coilare mounted on the other side of the platform, one terminal of theinduction coil secondary being connected through a make and break deviceto one of the said rollers, and the otherterminal to the other roller.

A convenient make and break arrangement for use in the apparatus of thisinvention comprises a plunger, actuated by a cam on one of the rollerspindles, and bearing continually against one end of a'leaf springmounted between a pair of metal contact arms the latter being secured toa common terminal connected to one pole of the induction coil secondary.During revolution of the rollers the leaf spring is lifted by theplunger into contact with one of the said arms, the reaction of thespring serving to keep the plunger in contact with the cam, and todepress the plunger when the cam moves past, until said spring touchesthe lower contact arm. Thus contact is made twice in each revolution ofthe roller.

Any suitable means may be provided to vary the resistance in circuitwith the primary winding of the induction coil.

Such embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanylngdrawings in which Fig. l is a side view in elevation of the completeappliance.

Fig. 2 is a plan view from above with the electrical arrangement shownin broken lines.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the underside of the appliance.

Fig. l is a cross-sectional view on line 4.-4. Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a circuit diagram of the electrical connections.

Referring to these drawings A designates a metal plate provided withmembers B in which a pair of rolling electrodes C and C1 are mounted torotate freely. Each of these rolling electrodes C and C1 comprises aseries of conoids, the parts of greater diameter in' one roller beingarranged substantially opposite the parts of smaller` diameter in the'other roller, so that the gap between the electrodes is substantiallyconstant throughout their length.

The electrode C is electrically insulated from the members B, forexample by mounting the spindle Cx in bearings of insulating material,or by providing an insulating sleeve between said spindle and the bodyof the electrode. The electrode C1 is in electrical Contact with themembers B.

On the upper side of the plate A is an electric battery D, a switch E,an induction coil or transformer F, the core F1 of which is providedwith rack teeth meshing with a pinion operated by a hand wheel Gr, ahigh frequency interrupter H, a condenser J and a make and break deviceK.

The ratio of primary to secondary winding of the induction coil F isadvantageous ly of the order of one to six or thereabouts.

The circuit connections are as follows (referring to Fig. 5)

The positive pole of the battery D is connected to one end of theprimary winding F1, the other end of which is connected to the windingsH1 of a horseshoe electromagnet, and these windings H1 are connected toa platinum or the like contact point H5. The armature H2 of the electromagnet is carried on an electrically conductive spring arm H3 arrangedover the contact H5, the end H4 of the spring arm H3 being connectedvthrough the switch E to the negative pole of the battery D, a condenserJ being shunted across the circuit.

L is an adjusting screw passing through the case of the appliance andbearing on the spring arm H3 for the purpose of adjustment.

One end of the secondary winding F2 of the induction coil F is connectedto a terminal K1 carrying contact arms K2 and K3 (see Fig. 4 also) withwhich alternately the arm Kx makes contact.

The current passes from the arm K'l through the plunger L insulated fromthe plate A (see Fig. 4) onto the cam M fixed to the roller C, from thelatter through the flesh of the patient to the roller C1 and thencethrough the members B and plate A to the other end of secondary windingF2 connected to said plate A to complete the circuit.

A terminal N connected to terminal K1 is provided for connection to aplate or other electrode in cases where it is desired to pass a currentfrom such electrode through the body of the patient to the rollingelectrodes, in addition to the intermittent current flowing between saidrolling electrodes twice in each revolution thereof.

The appliance is provided with handles O secured to the members B` whichare stayed by rod P.

Although I have described and illustrated herein, one form of applianceaccording to my invention, yet various modifications may be made withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention. For example, although theconoidal form of the rolling electrodes has been found to give the bestresults in practice, the flesh of the patient appearing to be gentlycompressed or squeezed between the opposing conical surfaces whilst theintermittent current causes successive contractions of the compressedparts, yet any other suitable form of axially undulatrolling` electrodemay be employed.

Furthermore the frame of the appliance need not conduct current andtherefore need not be of conductive material, the electrode C1 in such aease being connected by a lead or in any convenient manner to the secondary winding of the induction coil.

What I claim is l. An electro-therapeutic appliance comprising a frame,a plurality of elongate electrodes of axially undulating contour and ofopposite polarity mounted to rotate in said frame by frictional contactwith the flesh of the patient, means to supply electric current to saidelectrodes, and a make and break device in the circuit actuatedautomatically by the rotation of the electrodes, the current flow beingfrom one electrode to another through the flesh of the patient.

2. An electrotherapeutic appliance comprising a frame, a plurality ofelongate rotative electrodes of axially undulating contour mounted insaid frame, a source of electro-motive force connected through aninterrupter to the primary winding of an induction coil`r the secondaryof which is connected to the rotative electrodes, and a make and breakdevice automatically actuated by the rotation of the electrodes in thesaid secondary circuit, the current flow being from one electrode toanother through the flesh of the patient.

3. An electro-therapeutic appliance comprising a frame, a pair ofelongate metallic electrodes mounted parallel therein to rotate byfrictional Contact with the flesh of the patient and each having aseries of conoidal protuberances, a battery, a high frequencyinterrupter and an induction coil the primary winding of which isconnected in series with said battery and said interrupter the secondarywinding being connected through an automatically actuated make and breakdevice to said rolling electrodes of opposite polarity.

4. An electro-therapeutic appliance comprising a frame, suitable handlesfor said frame, a pair of elongate metallic electrodes mounted parallelin said frame so as to rotate by frictional contact with the flesh ofthe patient, each of said electrodes having a series of conoidalprotuberances arranged in staggered relation to the protuberances of theother electrode, a battery, connected through an interrupter to theprimary windrsa1/,741 3 ing of an induction coil the secondary wi ing ofwhich ie connected to said electrode through a make and break deviceactuated by the rotation of one of said electrodes the circuit betweenthe latter being completed through the flesh of the patient.

5. An electro-therapeutic appliance comprising a frame7 suitable handlesfor Said frame, a pair of elongate rotative electrodes each having aseries of conoidal protuberances arranged in staggered relation to theprotuberances of the other electrodes, a battery connected in circuitwith an interrupter and the primary Winding of an induction coil havingits secondary Winding connectefgl to Said electrodes through a make andbre .it device comprising a pair of spaced metal arms carried by acommon terminal in the secondary circuit and an intermediate contact armactuated by a plunger rolling on a cam carried by one of the electrodes,the secondary circuit between the electrodes being completed through theiiesh of the patient.

ALFRED LLOYD.

